Megan Walsh is hoping to feature against Brighton & Hove Albion, her former Club when West Ham United women’s team head to Broadfield Stadium for a Continental Tyres League Cup fixture group stage match on Wednesday evening.
The Hammers are heading into their second fixture in three days, and are looking to bounce back, having lost out to Aston Villa at Chigwell Construction Stadium on Sunday
The 29-year-old spent four seasons with the Seagulls before swapping the south coast for east London this summer. After starting in the last Conti Cup fixture, a 2-1 victory over Charlton Athletic at Chigwell Construction Stadium, Walsh is hoping to get the opportunity to be back between the posts in West Sussex.
And Walsh is ready and prepared should she be given the opportunity to start against her former Club…
“As a goalkeeper, you have to be ready to take the opportunities when they come. We’re going up against my old Club, which will be a little bit strange.
“I’ll say hello before kick-off, and then all the focus goes into making sure that we come away with a positive result and continue with the strong start that we’ve made in the competition.”
Walsh made a total of 76 appearances for the Albion across four seasons at Broadfield Stadium, and is therefore familiar with their style of play and overarching characteristics.
And the two teams have faced off against each other already this season, with the Irons coming out on top, 2-0 in the second fixture of Barclays Women’s Super League season.
“Brighton are a team that will all work very hard for each other, Walsh explained. “That’s what they pride themselves on. They’re coming into the game in decent form at the moment and I’m sure it’ll be a really good game.
“We’ve obviously played them already this season, we know what they’re about and we know how we need to execute the game plan to come away with a good result.”
Walsh arrived in east London in August and has taken well to her new surroundings. She praised the support that she’s had from manager Rehanne Skinner and goalkeeping coach, Chris Pipe, as well as the welcome that she has had from her new teammates.
“The girls here have been really welcoming – it’s such a good group to come into. Being at Brighton for four years, I thought it might be a little bit difficult at first because of the adjustment, but I’ve really enjoyed the first couple of months.
“Working with Rehanne has been fantastic, and Chris too has really pushed me to keep improving. I feel as though they’re bringing out the best in me. From an overall team perspective, you can see in our performances the way that we are improving. I think it’s only a matter of time before we turn those into results.”
